Wordle

Inspired by our class's analysis of the State of the Union using a word 
cloud and the reflective nature of my most recent post I decided to 
create a Wordle using the text from my blog. The result can be seen 
here:http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3047682/One%2C_Out_of_Many_Blog.
 The Wordle reveals several things to me about my blog. First, some of 
my most used words (question, information, opinion, and story) can be 
grouped into a Communications category. Perhaps this sheds light on how I
 view my blog. My blog has analyzed the way people communicate and has 
also become part of the ongoing human interaction (by sharing opinions, 
stories, information, and questions). Secondly, the Wordle shows the 
historical events which I chose to focus on. 9/11 and slavery stick out 
the most. Besides the fact that we discussed these historical events and
 eras in class, what drove me to comment on them in my blog? It is 
possible that these two key parts of American history have the strongest
 reverberation in my daily life. Remnants of slavery can be seen in 
racial interactions today and the wars and mindsets of Americans are 
reminders of the attacks.Lastly, the Wordle shows that not only what is 
examined but how it is done so. Among the most used words are right, 
wrong, and moral. It's clear that what concerns me most about the 
American society is its ethics. Now what remains to be seen is whether, 
like the speeches of the United States presidents, my blog will undergo a
 shifting of paradigm over the course of time.

Return of the Meta-Post

Another quarter has flown by and its time again to take a look back at the posts of second quarter. The One, Out of Many blog has undergone a few subtle changes during the winter season. Most notably a shift in opinion has occurred on the blog. While much of my first quarter was spent stating my own thoughts and ideas, during second quarter I leaned more on my audience. The blogs after my first meta-post saw the rise of the question (How does history get edited over time?, When will we run out of time?, Should the government have the right to raise the income tax during wartime?, While his talent is incredible, wouldn't it seem more just, and potentially wiser, to higher an unemployed person with some talent over an ex-con with a lot of talent?) and it seems my more reader-empathetic style has proved successful garnering a whooping 5 comments for the quarter and more importantly leaving only one post un-commented. The reason behind the changes are two-fold, one good and one bad. For the good, they reflect a concerted effort on my part to make my posts more inviting to readers expressed in my last meta-post. And on the bad side, they are partly due to lack of passion or concrete opinion on some of the topics I wrote about. This struggle to find synthesis between posts which are opinionated and passionate, and posts which attract comments has separated itself as the definitive challenge in writing my blog. And so the quest for my perfect post continues.
Please assess: Honest Abe?

Second Chances

No doubt a lot of you who are reading this are familiar with the story of Ted Williams. The homeless man turned professional voice-over artist became a Internet sensation recently. Williams's example demonstrates the power with which the redemptive arc continues to hold the American mind. William started with a promising career in voice-over work which was then wiped away by drug and alcohol abuse leading to the rock bottom of homelessness only to overcome his demons and begin a meteoric rise to new heights. It's certain that its this kind of story, and the American fascination with it, that has accounted for Williams's redemption. However, has our eagerness to accept Williams as a redemption story diminished the wrong he did in his past? When you consider that Williams left 9 children fatherless because of his addiction and was arrested multiple times, you have to wonder does he deserve the sudden celebrity more than someone else? The second chance is as integral to the American identity as apple pie and football, but it seems to me that Williams has been given two chances before others would get one. While his talent is incredible, wouldn't it seem more just, and potentially wiser, to higher an unemployed person with some talent over an ex-con with a lot of talent?